William H. Hastie | |
|---|---|
 Hastie,c. 1941 | |
| Senior Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit | |
| In office May 31, 1971 – April 14, 1976 | |
| Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit | |
| In office October 21, 1949 – May 31, 1971 | |
| Appointed by | Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | James Rosen |
| Governor of the United States Virgin Islands | |
| In office May 17, 1946 – October 21, 1949 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Harwood |
| Succeeded by | Morris Fidanque de Castro |
| Judge of theUnited States District Court of the Virgin Islands | |
| In office March 26, 1937 – July 1, 1939 | |
| Appointed by | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | George Philip Jones |
| Succeeded by | Herman Moore |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Henry Hastie Jr. (1904-11-17)November 17, 1904 Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | April 14, 1976(1976-04-14) (aged 71) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Relations | Charles Hamilton Houston (cousin) |
| Education | Amherst College (BA) Harvard University (LLB,SJD) |
William Henry Hastie Jr. (November 17, 1904 – April 14, 1976) was an American lawyer, judge, educator, public official, and civil rights advocate. He was the first African American to serve asGovernor of the United States Virgin Islands, as afederal judge,[1] and as afederal appellate judge.[2] He served as aUnited States circuit judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and previously served as District Judge of theDistrict Court of the Virgin Islands.
Hastie was born inKnoxville, Tennessee, the son of William Henry Hastie, Sr. and Roberta Childs.[3] His maternal ancestors were African American and Native American, but EuropeanAmerican is also a strong possible mix. Family tradition held that one female ancestor was aMalagasy princess.[4] He graduated fromDunbar High School, a top academic school for black students.
Hastie attendedAmherst College,Massachusetts in 1925, where he graduated first in his class,magna cum laude, andPhi Beta Kappa, receiving aBachelor of Arts degree.[5] While in college, Hastie was initiated intoOmega Psi Phi fraternity.[6] He received aBachelor of Laws fromHarvard Law School in 1930, followed by aDoctor of Juridical Science from the same institution in 1933.[7]
Hastie entered the private practice of law inWashington, D.C. from 1930 to 1933.[7] From 1933 to 1937 he served as assistantsolicitor for theUnited States Department of the Interior,[7] advising the agency on racial issues. He had worked with his second cousin,Charles Hamilton Houston, to establish a joint law practice.[8] Hastie served as a member of the informal "Black Cabinet" ofPresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1937.[9]
In 1937, Roosevelt appointed Hastie to theDistrict Court of the Virgin Islands,[10] making Hastie the first African-American federal judge.[5] This was a controversial action; DemocraticUnited States SenatorWilliam H. King ofUtah, the Chairman of theUnited States Senate Committee on the Judiciary called Hastie's appointment a "blunder." King opposed any nominee who supported Black equality.[11]
In 1939, Hastie resigned from the court to become theDean of theHoward University School of Law, where he had previously taught.[2] One of his students wasThurgood Marshall, who led the Legal Defense Fund for the NAACP and was appointed as aUnited States Supreme Court Justice.[citation needed]
Hastie served as a co-lead lawyer with Thurgood Marshall in the voting rights case ofSmith v. Allwright, 321 U.S. 649 (1944) in which the Supreme Court ruled against white primaries.[12] One of Houston's sons became a name partner at the law firm.[citation needed]
DuringWorld War II, Hastie worked as a civilian aide to theUnited States Secretary of WarHenry Stimson from 1940 to 1942.[7] He vigorously advocated the equal treatment of African Americans in theUnited States Army and their unrestricted use in the war effort.[13][9]
On January 15, 1943, Hastie resigned his position in protest againstracially segregated training facilities in theUnited States Army Air Forces, inadequate training for African-American pilots, and the unequal distribution of assignments between whites and non-whites.[13] That same year, he received theSpingarn Medal from theNAACP, both for his lifetime achievements and in recognition of this protest action.[14]
In 1946, PresidentHarry S. Truman appointed Hastie as Territorial Governor of theUnited States Virgin Islands.[7] He was the first African American to hold this position. Hastie served as governor from 1946 to 1949.[7]
Hastie received arecess appointment from PresidentHarry S. Truman on October 21, 1949, to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, to a new seat authorized by 63 Stat. 493, becoming the first African-American federal appellate judge. He was nominated to the same position by President Truman on January 5, 1950. He was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on July 19, 1950, and received his commission on July 22, 1950. He served as Chief officer as a member of theJudicial Conference of the United States from 1968 to 1971. He assumedsenior status on May 31, 1971. He was a Judge of theTemporary Emergency Court of Appeals from 1972 to 1976. His service terminated on April 14, 1976, when he died of aheart attack inPhiladelphia while he was playinggolf. He was 71 years old.[7][15]
As the first African American on the Federal bench, Hastie was considered as a possible candidate to be the first African-American Justice of the Supreme Court. In an interview withRobert Penn Warren for the bookWho Speaks for the Negro?, Hastie commented that as a judge, he had not been able to be "out in the hustings, and to personally sample grassroots reaction" but that for theCivil Rights Movement to succeed, both class and race must be considered.[16]
In 1962, PresidentJohn F. Kennedy considered appointing Hastie to succeed retiring JusticeCharles Whittaker.[17] But due to political calculations he did not do so, as he believed that an African-American appointee would have faced fierce opposition in theUnited States Senate from Southerners such asJames Eastland (D-Mississippi), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Conversely, on issues other than civil rights, Hastie was considered relatively moderate, and Chief JusticeEarl Warren was reportedly "violently opposed" to Hastie, as he would be too conservative as a justice.[17] JusticeWilliam O. Douglas reportedly toldRobert F. Kennedy that Hastie would be "just one more vote forFrankfurter."[17] Kennedy appointedByron White instead.
Kennedy noted that he expected to make several more appointments to the Supreme Court in his presidency and that he intended to appoint Hastie to the Court at a later date.[18]
Hastie was an elected member of both theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences and theAmerican Philosophical Society.[19][20] The Third Circuit Library in Philadelphia is named in Hastie's honor.[21] A permanent memorial room in his honor is hosted by The Beck Cultural Exchange Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, which also houses his personal papers.[22] In addition, an urban natural area inSouth Knoxville is named in his honor.[23]
In terms of African-American history, Hastie developed from a youthful radical to a scholarly, calm, almost aloof jurist. He said the judge always ought to be in the middle, for his basic responsibility "is to maintain neutrality while giving the best objective judgment of the contest between adversaries." He served as major influence for many lawyers and jurists, JudgeSolomon Oliver Jr. was among those who clerked for him, and cites Hastie as his greatest influence. As a scion of an elite black family, he reflected its integrationist viewpoint. He said, "The Negro lawyer has played and continues to play, a very important role in the American Negro's struggle for equality."[24] When he resigned as the top aide on racial matters to the War Department in 1943, he said it was caused by "reactionary policies and discriminatory practices in the Army and Air Forces."[25]
Hastie's daughter,Karen Hastie Williams, was a prominent lawyer, and the first woman of colour appointed clerk to a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.[26]
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States District Court of the Virgin Islands 1937–1939 | Succeeded by |
| New seat | Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 1949–1971 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit 1968–1971 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of the United States Virgin Islands 1946–1949 | Succeeded by |
| Naval(1917–1931) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Civil(1931–1969) | ||
| Elected(since 1969) | ||
